Former US President Donald Trump recently made headlines by calling for absolute immunity for actions taken while he was in the White House. However, US federal prosecutors opposed the request, saying no one is above the law.
In a motion addressed to federal judge Tanya Chutkan, Donald Trump’s lawyers invoked presidential immunity to request that the charges against him be dismissed. They referenced a case involving former President Richard Nixon, saying that acts within the president’s official responsibilities received absolute immunity.
However, federal prosecutors refuted these arguments, emphasizing that presidential immunity is not absolute and that Donald Trump, as a former president, is subject to criminal laws like any other American citizen. They also emphasized that the current case concerns acts that lie within, not outside, the president’s official responsibilities.
This legal battle could have big consequences for Donald Trump, who is the first former US president to be criminally charged. If his request for absolute immunity were to succeed, it could compromise the integrity of the American justice system and allow other presidents to evade possible prosecution for acts committed while in office.
Donald Trump’s trial is scheduled for next March, and he will have to answer charges of attempting to overturn the result of the 2020 presidential election. In addition, he also faces other legal cases, notably in connection with alleged accounting fraud and irregularities in the Georgia election.
This situation highlights the limits of presidential immunity and raises questions about the accountability of former presidents for their actions while in office. As the case continues through the courts, it remains to be seen whether or not Donald Trump will obtain the absolute immunity he claims, or whether he will have to answer for his actions in court.